UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥� The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved resolutions Wednesday and backing the .
The votes in the 193-nation world body were 158-9, with 13 abstentions to demand a ceasefire now and 159-9 with 11 abstentions in support of the agency known as UNRWA.
The votes culminated two days of speeches overwhelmingly calling for an end to the 14-month and demanding access throughout Gaza to address the growing humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel and its close ally, the United States, were in a tiny minority speaking and voting against the resolutions. Other opposing both resolutions included Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga.
While Security Council resolutions are legally binding, General Assembly resolutions are not, though they do reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly.
The Palestinians and their supporters went to the General Assembly after the on Nov. 20 demanding an immediate Gaza ceasefire. It was supported by the council鈥檚 14 other members but the U.S. objected that it was not linked to an immediate release of hostages taken by Hamas militants during their , which triggered the war.
The Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support for both resolutions Wednesday, saying the votes 鈥渞eflect the resolve and the determination of the international community.鈥�
鈥淲e will keep knocking on the doors of the Security Council and the General Assembly until we see an immediate and unconditional ceasefire put in place and until we see humanitarian assistance being distributed at scale in all corners of the Gaza Strip,鈥� he said.
The language of the resolution adopted by the assembly on a ceasefire mirrors the text of the vetoed council resolution. It demands 鈥渁n immediate, unconditional and permanent cease-fire to be respected by all parties,鈥� while also reiterating a 鈥渄emand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.鈥�
That language is much stronger than General Assembly resolutions adopted on Oct. 27, 2023 鈥� three weeks after the Hamas attack 鈥� calling for an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities and on Dec. 12, 2023, demanding 鈥渁n immediate humanitarian ceasefire.鈥�
The resolution adopted Wednesday also marked the first time Germany and Italy, who abstained last December, voted in favor of a Gaza ceasefire. Their support left the United States as the only member of the Group of 7 major industrialized nations still opposed.
On the humanitarian front, the resolution rejects 鈥渁ny effort to starve Palestinians鈥� and demands immediate access to civilians to provide aid indispensable to their survival.
The second resolution backs the mandate of UNRWA, which was established by the General Assembly in 1949.
It deplores on Oct. 28 banning UNRWA鈥檚 activities in the Palestinian territories, a measure to take effect in 90 days.
It reiterates U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres鈥� statements that UNRWA is 鈥渢he backbone鈥� of all humanitarian operations in Gaza and no organization can replace it. And it reaffirms the necessity for UNRWA鈥檚 continued 鈥渦nimpeded operation.鈥�
The resolution calls on the Israeli government 鈥渢o abide by its international obligations, respect the privileges and immunities of UNRWA" and uphold its responsibility to facilitate the unhindered delivery of aid humanitarian assistance throughout the entire Gaza Strip.
Israel alleges that around a dozen of UNRWA鈥檚 13,000 workers in Gaza participated in Hamas鈥� attacks on Israel that precipitated the war. It recently provided the U.N. with over 100 names of .
U.S. deputy U.N. ambassador Robert Wood reiterated America鈥檚 opposition to the ceasefire resolution ahead of Wednesday鈥檚 vote and criticized the Palestinians for again failing to mention Hamas鈥� Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
鈥淎t a time when Hamas is feeling isolated due to the ceasefire in Lebanon, the draft resolution on a ceasefire in Gaza risks sending a dangerous message to Hamas that there鈥檚 no need to negotiate or release the hostages,鈥� he said.
The Hamas attack killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw another 250 abducted as hostages. Gaza militants have not returned around 100 hostages, a third of them believed to be dead, and ceasefire efforts have ground to a halt.
Israel鈥檚 retaliatory offensive has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the local Health Ministry. It says women and children make up more than half the dead but does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count.
Wood said the U.S. will continue to seek a diplomatic solution to the war and called UNRWA 鈥渁 critical lifeline to the Palestinian people.鈥� But he said the UNRWA resolution has 鈥渟erious flaws鈥� because it fails to create a path to restore trust between the U.N. agency and Israel 鈥� despite U.S. efforts and a U.S. proposal.
Just before the vote, Israel鈥檚 U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon accused the resolutions鈥� supporters of complicity with Hamas, which he said has 鈥渉opelessly infiltrated鈥� UNRWA, and denounced their failure to link a ceasefire to the release of the hostages.
鈥淏y demanding a ceasefire today without addressing the hostages, this assembly will once again side with those who weaponize human suffering,鈥� Danon said. 鈥淚t will send a message that the lives of innocent Israelis, including children, are not worth your consideration.鈥�
鈥淭his is not diplomacy,鈥� he stressed. 鈥淚t is appeasement. It is enabling terror and abandoning the innocent.鈥�
Slovenia鈥檚 U.N. Ambassador Samuel 沤bogar, reflecting the views of many speakers, pointed to the tens of thousands killed in Gaza.
鈥淕aza doesn鈥檛 exist anymore,鈥� he told the assembly Wednesday. 鈥淚t is destroyed. Civilians are facing hunger, despair and death.鈥�
Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press
